Olukoyede revealed that he personally reached out to Bello to extend an invitation for interrogation. “I made a direct call to him out of respect for his former position,” Olukoyede stated. However, Bello declined the invitation, citing concerns of being surrounded by journalists orchestrated to intimidate him. Undeterred, Olukoyede offered an alternative, proposing that Bello be questioned in the EFCC offices, but Bello suggested the investigators come to his village instead.
“On my honour, I put a call to him to honour him as a former governor. He said, I can’t come, claiming that a certain lady has surrounded the EFCC with over 100 Journalists to embarrass or intimidate him and all that stuff. I said if that is your fear, I will make you come directly to my floor. I will invite my operatives to interrogate you in my own office. What could be more honourable than that? Do you know what he said? ‘Can’t they come to my village?’ My Director of Investigations also sent a message to him”, he said.
Expressing concern over the reported financial misconduct involving Bello, Olukoyede highlighted an instance where funds were allegedly siphoned from government accounts to pay his children’s school fees in advance, totaling $720,000, ahead of an anticipated departure from office.
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”The EFCC’s boss said he was worried at the report of larceny available to the EFCC concerning the former governor. A sitting governor, because he knew he was going, he moved money directly from the government’s account to a bureau-de-change to pay his children’s school fees in advance, $720,000, in anticipation that he was going to leave government house”, he said.
In addition to addressing Bello’s case, Olukoyede unveiled the EFCC’s efforts to combat fraudulent activities in the foreign exchange market, particularly unveiling a new fraudulent scheme known as P2P (peer to peer) trading scheme. This illicit platform operates beyond official banking channels, prompting the EFCC to freeze over 300 associated accounts.
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Emphasising the EFCC’s dedication to Nigeria’s economic progress, Olukoyede reassured the public of the Commission’s commitment to recovering misappropriated funds, with over N120 billion recovered and more than 1300 convictions secured within six months.
He urged Nigerians to support the EFCC, emphasizing that backing the Commission is synonymous with promoting the nation’s prosperity. “Supporting the EFCC is contributing to Nigeria’s growth,” he affirmed, calling for collective efforts in safeguarding the nation’s interests.
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